Golf practicing and training device



Aug. 30, 1927.

W. J. GOLDSWORTHY GOLF PRACTICING AND TRAINING DEVICE Filed March 22,1926 Patented Aug. 30, 1927.

1,640,765 FFICE.

PATENT O WILLIAM J. GOLDSWORTI-IY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

GOLF PRACTICING AND TRAINING DEVICE.

Application filed March 22, 1926. Serial No. 96,543.

Thepresent invention relates generally to improvements in golfpracticing and training devices wherewith a player may practice andtrain in parts of the game, away from the course, and thereby acquiregreater proficiency for the playing of an actual game of golf upon thegolf course.

The invention is directed in particular towards automatically securingto the practicing player the unmoved position of the head for and duringthat portion of the stroke when the head should be stationary.

Another object is to furnish to the practicing player information as tothe force with whichthe strokes have been made.

Reference is made to my copending application Serial Number 25,34t9filed April 23, 1925. The present application shows improvements on thedevice there shown and the present claims will be drawn outside thereof.

The accompanying drawing is a view of the device, with some featuresshown in rough proportions and relations only, as the cap of the player,the ball, the anchoring pin, etc.

In carrying out my invention in the manner shown 1 is an open topboxlike frame adapted to be immovably secured upon the surface playedupon. An upright standard 2 is rigidly secured to the frame 1 with itsupper end provided with two prongs 3 whose ends are turned to receive inturnable relation the pintle 4: of a plate 5 and allow the plate 5 toswing and turn inthe manner of a hinge.

The free end of the plate 5 is recessed into an arcuate shape and alsobeveled to a'relatively thin edge. Teeth 6 are cut in the thin arcuateshaped end of theplate '5. A downwardly extending rod 7 is loosely andturnably secured to the plate 5 by the pin 8 and pivots thereon. The rod7 is shaped at its lower end into a laterally extending foot 9. .30indicates a shelf like projection orv lug, rigidly connected to theframe 1, upon which the foot 9 ofthe rod 7 rests and is prevented fromfurther downward travel. A pin 10 is rigidly secured in the side of theframe 1. A latch like bar 11 is made to pivot on the pin 10 and toextend over and lie on the laterally extending foot 9 of the rod 7. Thebar 11 extends to and seats in a catch or keeper 12, secured to theframe 1, fashioned to receive and release the bar 11 as it turns on thepin 10 in the manner of a catch of a latch. An eye 13 is cut in thecatch or keeper 12, above where the turning bar 11 seats, through whicheye 13 the free end of an elongated blow receiving member 141, in thiscase a pliable cord or strap, extends. By reason of the insertion of thefree end of the cord or strap let in the eye 13, the bar ll will belocked against any pivotingmovement on the pin 10 and when the saidinserted free end is Withdrawn from the eye 13 the bar 11 will beunlocked and freed to pivot on the pin 10. Thus satisfying thedefinition of a detent, to-wit: that which looks and unlocks a movement.

The opposite end of the cord or strap 1 1 is carried out to a distancefrom the frame 1 and is secured to the anchor 15 which in turn isrigidly set into the surface played upon. A shaft 16 is provided toprotrude through. the ends of the frame 1 and freely revolves inbearings there provided. A smooth sided offset pin 17 is rigidly securedto the revolving shaft 16. An opening or eye 18 is provided in thepliable cord or strap 14 through which eye 18 the offset pin 17 easilyand readily inserts and retires. 19

indicates in dot-ted outline the presented face I of a fly wheel rigidlyfitted on the end of and revolving with the shaft 16. A con A guide rodframe 1. A traveling pointer 22 is hinged to the guide rod 21 in amanner toturn on and slide freely to and fro along the guide rod 21. Thetraveling pointer 22 is made to extend over and contact with therevolving shaft 16 and at the point of contact is recessly curved,approximately less than one-half of a full turn, in order to fit closelyto and upon the worm 20 of the revolving shaft 16. Such contactingrecessed curved portion of the traveling pointer 22 is threaded ortoothed on its contacting face to receive the worm 20 in meshedoperative relation to the end that when the shaft 16 revolves thetraveling pointer 22 will be moved along the shaft 16 and the guide bar21. The traveling pointer 22 is adapted to be lifted manually out ofmesh with the worm 20 and slid along the guide rod 21. The free end ofthe traveling pointer 22 is pointed and lies over and moves along andover the edge of the frame 1 where a scale 23 is provided that willindicate the travel of the traveling pointer 22.

24: represents the dotted'outlines of a golf ball approximately in theposition from. which it-will be driven by a club in the hands of theplayer and the arrow indicates the direction of the travel of the ball24 after being hit and also the direction of the travel of the club headafter the hitting of the ball 24 by the player.

I 25 shows the cap of the player in inaccurate relation with the devic26 shows a ringed end hook engaging the cap 25 of the player. 27 shows apliable cord secured by one end to the ring of the hook 26 and carriedforward and over the plate 5. For the purposes of the drawing the cord27 is shown with a section removed. Ii weight 28 is secured t theopposite end of the cord 27 causing the cord 27 to be bent in thearcuate shaped end of the plate 5 and lie against the teeth 6.lrregularities 29, comprised either of knots formed by and in the cord27 itself, or of material secured to the cord 27, are provided onth'ecord 27 preferably at regular spaced apart distances thereon.

The device being provided and assembled as described and the frame 1 andthe anchor being secured to the surface to be played upon, the playerwill see that the cord or strap 14: is secured to the anchor 15. Theplayer will see that the traveling pointer 22 meshes with the worm ofthe shaft 16 oppositethe beginning of the scale 23. The player will seethat the free end of the cord or strap 14 is properly inserted throughthe eye 13 of thecatch or keeper 12, and that the pin 17 projectsthrough the eye 18. The ball 24 being in place to be played, the player,with cap 25 on his head and with hook 26 securing the weighted cord 27thereto, will hold. his club'in one hand and advance to a position closeto the device, at the same time carrying in his other hand the cord 27and weight 28 for the purpose of putting them into operative contactwith the plate He will then drop the weight 28 over the arcuate end ofthe plate 5 and allow the cord 27 to engage with the teeth 6 at a pointjust above the weight The player will then back away from the device,and take his stance position for the making of the actual stroke, payingout the cord 27 as he retires and being careful the while to keep theweight 28 practically unmoved. Having reached his stance position, theplayer will assume an erect'attitude and then entirely release his holdon the cord 27 when the weight 28 will pull the cord 27 andirregularities 29 down over the teeth 6 of the plate 5 making the cord27 taut and the player will sense the pull on his cap 25 and ead.

-le will then address the ball and execute his waggle during whichaddress he will aturahy lean forward and as he leans forward theweight28 will pull the cord 27 and irregularite 29 still further over theteeth 6. At the moment of takingthe club hack tomake theactual strokehis head will have assumed its lowest forward downward position and theirregularite and 29 by engaging in the teeth 6, in any at-, temptedupward movement of the head, will.

cause his head to be locked in thatpOsit-iOn until the plate 5 isallowed to swing. In the continuation of the stroke the player will; hitthe ball 24 and the club, in its forward. carry after the ball 24 hasbeenihit, will strikethe cord or strap 14 and cause the,

At the time the cord or strap 14 hit by the club, and by reason of oneend of the cord or strap 14 being anchored, the free opposite end willbe carried out and along the line of flight of the club head. the eye 18of-the cord or strap 14: will vio lently pull. on the pin 17 and causethe s aft 16 and its wheel 19 to revolve and as the shaft 16 revolvesthe eye 18 will slide from the pin 17. The impulse given to the shaft 18will cause it and its fly wheel 19 to continue to revolve for some timeand by means the worm or spiral "thread 20 will cause. the travelingpointer 22' to be moved along the scale 23 and thereby indicate; otherthings being equal, the force with which the cord orstrap 1-1 was pulledfrom the pin 17.

It is obvious or shorter as desired or made to set at an angle otherthan upright to the shaft 16 and thereby vary'the impulse given to theshaft 16 by the clubimpe'l1ed flying cord or strap 14;. r g

It is also obvious that, as'the fre eend of pin 10 and in turn 5-to beswung on its bearings Then i that pin 17 may be longer the cord or strap14, projecting through the eye 13 of the keeper 12, is made longer orshorter, the time of freeing the head from the restraint, imposed asdescribed, may be accelerated or delayed. Thus, increasing the length ofthe free end of cord or strap 14 will increase the distance that theclub, durthe finish of the stroke, will carry forward the cord or strapl linorder to release the head. This being donewithhave to 2 outaltering the position of the anchor 15, or varying the force with whichthe cord or strap l l will be pulled from the pin 17.

While the reading scale 23, the traveler 22 and the worm 20 may beeasily associated so as to correctly register the revolutions of theshaft 16, it may be remarked, should it be desirable to use some of theshaft operated recording registers now known and used, that such wouldbe at the command of the device, where the revolving of the shaft 16 isobtained as described.

Having thus illustrated my invention and described the same in detail,what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a golf practicing and training device in combination a rigidsupport, a movable member carried by the support and freely operativethereon, an elongated member detachably secured to the head-wear of theplayer and conveying movements of his head to and actuating thesupported freely moving member, an elongated blow receiving meanssecured by one end, a rigidly supported catch means adapted to hold andrelease the free opposite end of the elongated blow receiving meansthereby constituting a detent, a means moving into and out of the catchmeans and controlled by the detent and connecting means between the headactuated freely moving member and the detent controlled means foractuating the same.

2. In a golf practicing and training device in combination, a rigidsupport, a movable member carried by the support and freely operativethereon, an elongated member detachably secured to the head-wear of theplayer and conveying movements of his head to and actuating thesupported freely moving member, an elongated blow receiving meanssecured by one end, a rigidly supported catch means adapted to receiveand release the free opposite end of the elongated blow receivingmeansthereby constituting a detent, a means moving into and out of thecatch means and controlled by the detent, connecting means between thehead actuated freely moving member and the detent controlled means foractuating the same, a spindle freely revolving in a support, an offsetfrom the spindle in separable connection with the elongatedblowreceiving means and a register means operated by the spindle forrecording the revolutions thereof.

3. In a golf practicing and training device in combination, a rigidsupport, a movable member carried by the support and freely operativethereon, an elongated member detachably secured to the head-Wear of theplayer and conveying movements of his head to and actuating thesupported freely moving member, an elongated blow receiving meanssecured by one end, a catch means adapted to receive and release thefree opposite end of the elongated blow receiving means therebyconstituting a detent, a means moving into and out of the catch andcontrolled by the detent, connecting means between the head actuatedfreely moving member and the detent controlled means for actuating thesame, a spindle freely revolving in a support, an offset from thespindle in separate connection with the elongated blow receiving means,a worm on the spindle, a traveler actuated by the worm and a distancescale for the traveler.

4. In a golf practicing and training device in combination, an elongatedblow receiving means secured by one end, a spindle freely revolving in asupport, an offset from the spindle in separable connection with theelongated blow receiving means and a register means operated by thespindle for recording the revolutions thereof.

5. In a golf practicing and training device in combination, an elongatedblow receiving means secured by one end, a spindle freely revolving in asupport, an offset from the spindle in separable connection with theelongated blow receiving means, a worm on the spindle, a traveleractuated by the worm and a distance scale for the traveler.

Signed in the city and county of San Francisco, and State of California,this 12th day of'March, 1926.

WILLIAM J. GOLDSWVORTHY.

